China launches new gas pipeline to boost energy security

The first section of the second Sichuan-to-East natural gas pipeline, a key energy infrastructure project in China, began operation on Monday, boosting the country's natural gas transmission capacity by three billion cubic meters annually, according to PipeChina.

Stretching 4,269 kilometers, the project starts in Luxian County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, and ends in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

The newly operational part is located in the western part of the project. Spanning 56.15 km long, it runs from an upload point at the Anyue Gas Field in Ziyang City, Sichuan, to the compressor station in Tongliang District, Chongqing Municipality.

"Natural gas from the Gaoshiti block of the Anyue Gas Field, operated by PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gasfield Company, can now be connected with the Zhongwei-Guiyang Gas Pipeline through this initial section, integrating it into the national gas grid," said Li Wang, head of PipeChina Southwest Pipeline Company's Chongqing branch.

"This new channel enhances the outward transportation of natural gas resources from Sichuan and Chongqing, providing strong support for the development of the 100-billion-cubic-meter natural gas production base in the region and improving natural gas utilization along the pipeline route." 

The pipeline is being constructed in two phases, the western section (Sichuan-Chongqing-Hubei) and the eastern section (Hubei-Henan-Jiangxi-Anhui-Zhejiang-Fujian).

Upon completion in 2027, the pipeline will have an annual transmission capacity of 20 billion cubic meters.

It is designed to connect with major national pipeline networks, ensuring efficient transportation of natural gas from the Sichuan Basin, meeting peak demand in central and eastern regions, and promoting energy structure transformation along the pipeline route.